The present invention provides improvements in post-injury dressing for patients who have sustained an injury to an extremity. Numerous medical studies have proven that applying compression to an extremity is an important factor in reducing blood flow problems. Stockings and hosiery have been used to apply compression to the legs of patients who have recently undergone surgery to speed the blood flow and reduce blood clotting. The preferred hose apply a graduated compression with the highest compression rates in the foot and lower calf areas and reduced amounts of compression higher in the leg. Although these types of hose are advantageous, presently available hose have several drawbacks.
One presently available post-operative wrap is an elastic bandage such as an "ace-type wrap". These wraps effectively hold a dressing or sponge on the post-operative wound but do not apply compression throughout the entire lower leg area and may cause swelling of the foot and ankle. These types of bandages often have a limited size and do not extend below the upper calf when wrapped around the patient's leg. The bandage is held in position by metal clips which may cause puncture wounds to the patient if they are not carefully placed onto the bandage, or may fall off the bandage and become lost. Worse, this alignment may cause a "tourniquet effect" which reduces blood flow to the lower leg and exacerbates the potential complication of post-injury thrombophlebitis.
A drawback of conventional compression hose is that they do not provide access to the injured area. For example, after a patient has undergone arthroscopic surgery, the doctor will place the hose initially on the outer extremity and then pull the hose along the extremity. The injured area should be accessible to change bandages or allow a doctor to examine the area. Hosiery that extends over the area of injury does not allow for this convenience. Additionally, it is difficult to put the hosiery on and off without disturbing or displacing the bandages.
Thus, there exists a need for a compression type hose capable of applying graduated compression throughout the length of the extremity and having an opening over the injured area for accessing the patient's wound and dressing.